Ten global health problems to be followed by 2021
2020 has been a devastating year for global health. The previously unknown virus has run around the world, emerging as one of its top killers, highlighting the failure of health systems. Today, health services in all regions have a problem with COVID-19, and they provide people with essential care.
In some cases, the epidemic threatens to reverse the world's poor health record over the past two decades - in the fight against infectious diseases, for example, and to improve maternal and child health.
So by 2021, countries around the world will need to continue to fight COVID-19 (even though you know that adequate tools are emerging). They will need to urgently reform and strengthen their health systems to deliver these tools and address critical social and environmental issues that lead to some sections of the population suffering more than others.
The WHO and its partners will be on their side. We will work to help countries strengthen their resilience to epidemics and other emergencies. We will remind them of the importance of international integration and the involvement of the government as a whole, not just the health sector. We will also support them in building more robust health systems and healthy people
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Here are ten ways we will do this:
Build a global health safety alliance around the world
WHO will work with countries to improve their preparedness for emergencies and health emergencies. But for this to be successful, we will ensure that countries work together. Above all, this epidemic has repeatedly shown us that no one is safe until everyone is safe.
We will also help deal with health emergencies at the COVID-19-reinforced relief centers. We will focus on supporting better protecting communities most at risk from health emergencies, including urban areas, small island countries, and conflict situations.
We will use existing partnerships and build new ones to expand, train, and evaluate high-quality public health services to make international emergency personnel. We also plan to establish BioBank - an internationally agreed-upon system for sharing viral and clinical samples to facilitate the rapid development of safe and effective vaccines and drugs. And we will maintain our focus on obtaining accurate information from people by building our work with our key partners to protect people from disease.
Accelerate access to COVID-19 trials, medications, and vaccines
Priority for 2021 will be to continue our work across the four pillars of the ACT-Accelerator, achieving equitable access to safe and effective vaccines, tests, and treatment and ensuring that health systems are strong enough to be delivered to them. Finding the right tools for everyone who needs them will be vital to ending the first, most challenging phase of the epidemic and addressing the health and economic problems that have caused it.
By the end of 2020, there will be many promising pipeline tools due to the unprecedented speed of innovation. Another immediate challenge is getting the rest of the money needed to get these tools wherever required.
The ACT-Accelerator objectives by 2021 include: disseminating two billion tar, etc.; 245 million treatments; establishing testing for 500 million people in low- and middle-income countries, and strengthening the health systems needed to support them.
Improve the health of all
One of the most apparent lessons we have learned from this epidemic is the consequences of neglecting our health systems. In 2021 the WHO will work at all three levels of the Organization and its partners worldwide to help countries strengthen programs to respond to COVID-19 and deliver all the essential health services needed to keep people of all ages healthy - close to home without falling into poverty.
Two key steps will support this work: the implementation and implementation of a new WHO primary healthcare program in countries and the UHC compendium - a tool to help countries identify the essential health services they need - for example, to ensure women can provide safe births, that children are vaccinated, and that people they can be tested and treated for diseases.
To further improve this work, we will lead a global campaign to strengthen international health workers by 2021, the Year of Health and Care Workers.
Addressing health inequalities
The COVID-19 epidemic has attracted the attention of deep divisions between countries and countries, some of which are expanding and in danger of further escalation.
In 2021 we will use the latest WHO data and build on international commitments (and existing work) to advance global health coverage and address broader health conditions. We will work with countries to monitor and address health inequalities related to critical issues such as income, gender, race, living in remote rural or urban areas that were previously disadvantaged, education, employment/employment conditions, and disability.
We will focus on the steps the health sector can take to ensure equitable access to quality health services throughout the continuum of care and to liaise with other sectors to address social and environmental health decisions.
As part of our annual campaign, on World Health Day, 7 April 2021, WHO will call for international action to address health inequalities.
Provide global leadership in science and data
The WHO will monitor and evaluate the latest scientific advances around COVID-19 and beyond, identifying opportunities to use those advances to improve global health. We will support and strengthen our professional services' quality, value, and effectiveness, providing the world with the best evidence-based public health evidence on issues ranging from Alzheimer's to Zika.
And through initiatives such as our revitalized SCORE Technical Package, we will support countries in strengthening their health information systems and information systems to report progress towards the Sustainable Development Goals.
Revitalize efforts to fight infectious diseases
In recent decades, WHO and its partners have worked tirelessly to eradicate polio, HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria and prevent epidemics such as measles and mumps. COVID-19 is seriously reversing this work by 2020. So by 2021, we will help countries find people who have missed TB, polio, and other diseases. As part of this drive, we will work to improve access to the HPV vaccine as part of a new global effort to eradicate cervical cancer launched in 2020.
We will work with partners to implement the new 10-year Roadmap for Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), its global objectives and measures to prevent, control, eradicate and eradicate 20 NTDs. We will also intensify efforts to eradicate AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria and eradicate hepatitis by 2030.
Fighting drug resistance
Global efforts to eradicate infectious diseases will be successful only if we have effective drugs. Therefore, it will be essential to build on the work we do with our One Health partners - the Food and Agricultural Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health (OIE) - and stakeholders in all sectors to preserve antimicrobials. The new Global Leadership for Antimicrobial Resistance group, which includes industry leaders and political leaders, will meet for the first time in January to discuss ways to speed up the crisis. At the same time, WHO will continue to improve global monitoring and continue our support for national action plans, ensuring that drug resistance is integrated into strengthening the health system and emergency preparedness programs.
Prevent and treat NCDs and mental health conditions
The latest Global Health Estimates statistics show that non-communicable diseases (NCDs) face 7 of the top 10 causes of death by 2019. By 2020 we realized that the most vulnerable people with NCDs are COVID-19. It is essential to ensure that screening and treatment programs for diseases such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease are available to all who need them when they need them. This will be the focus of 2021, with the new Global Diabetes Compact and a campaign to help 100 million people quit smoking.
We have also seen the devastating effects of epidemics and emerging closures, economic security, and fear and uncertainty on human mental health worldwide. By 2021 we will support efforts to expand community-based mental health services and people living in conflict or disaster areas.
Build back better
COVID-19 has been a critical moment in many ways and offers a unique opportunity to build a better, greener, and healthier world. Our Healthy Recovery Manifesto from COVID-19, which aims to address climate change and health, reduce air pollution and improve air quality, could play a key role in making this possible.
The conference will be held in June 2021 and will focus on supporting health in developing countries on the Small Island. In the meantime, we will continue with recommendations from 2020 WHO / UNICEF / Lancet Commission to ensure a healthy world for our children, and continue our work to improve food and nutrition programs around the world - including the global food security strategy and the United Nations Secretary-General's Food Program in September.
Work together
One of the critical objectives of WHO's emphasis on the whole fight against COVID-19 is the need to demonstrate greater solidarity - between nations, institutions, communities, and individuals, to close the gaps in our defense as the virus grows.
In 2021 we will prioritize this - building national capacity through our work with the Member States and through new programs, such as working with youth groups, strengthening and expanding relationships with civil society and the private sector, and working with the new WHO Foundation. Our institutional capacity will be enhanced, including new scientific collaborations with the WHO Academy.
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